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Chatty Driving: Phones vs. Passengers

By now most people know that cell phones are a deadly distraction for drivers. But what about chatting with passengers?

New research sheds light on the role that conversation — whether in person or on the phone — has on driving skill.

Researchers at the University of Utah found that all conversations are not created equal. There is something uniquely distracting about talking on the phone when you’re behind the wheel; conversations with people inside the car are far less distracting to drivers. Unlike cell phone callers, chatty passengers instinctively stop talking when driving conditions change, and they offer an extra set of eyes to alert drivers to nearly-missed exits or erratic drivers.

“Passenger conversation is much safer than conversation on the cell phone,’’ said David Strayer, professor of psychology at the University of Utah and the study’s lead author. “When you’re in the same physical environment, you tend to adjust your discussions to the difficulty of driving. If driving becomes difficult, they stop talking or they point out hazards.’’

To gauge the effect of cell phone conversation compared to in-person chats in the car, the researchers put 96 drivers in a simulator, instructing them to drive several miles down the road and pull off at a rest stop ahead. The drivers conducted the experiment while talking to a friend on a cell phone or while talking to a friend seated nearby.

Nearly every driver riding with a passenger completed the task – sometimes the passenger alerted the driver to the approaching rest stop. But half of the cell phone chatterers missed the exit, according to the study, published in The Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. “They drove right past the exit without even stopping or noticing,’’ Dr. Strayer said.

All of the cell phone drivers were using hands-free headsets, debunking the idea that it’s safer to talk on the phone while driving if you’re not holding a handset, Dr. Strayer noted.

“In terms of risk, you’re as likely to be in an accident talking on the cell phone as you are if you are legally drunk,” Dr. Strayer said. “I see a lot of cases where instead of missing an exit, someone doesn’t see a stop sign or a stop light.”

My passenger today gave me good directions, calmed me down, and gave me good advice about a personal problem. She has pointed out changing lights and cars in my blind spot on other occasions. She’s a godsend!

I find that passengers vary greatly in how distracting they are–part of it’s just their attentiveness. But also beware anyone who likes to talk math or engineering. That kind of discussion can take over the part of the brain one needs to drive well.

After doing this, we should move to a culture of hunting and gathering, bartering goods with the clans near ours, making our clothing from locally grown fibers, and communicating by means of cellphones with distant clans and tribes. All governments should be local and clan-based. New York City will become a largely deserted concrete island. And everyone will be happier, although more primitive.

So many times I’ve been nearly run down, while crossing in a crosswalk with the light, by drivers talking on cell phones. A friend was recently hit by a car in a parking lot, her leg broken in three places, by a driver talking on a cell phone. On the road I’ve been behind cars that slow down, weave erratically, then speed up unoredictably. When we have finally passed them to get out of the way of this unsafe driving, the driver is either very, very aged or else talking animatedly on a cell phone. The aged usually stay of the high-speed roads at rush hour, but not the cell phone users. This may be anecdotal evidence but it’s good enough for me to say that talking on cell phones should not be permitted while driving.

The arrogance of those who deny the unusual distraction caused by use of the cell phone defies belief.

I recommend any of these naysayers walk next time instead of drive, and observe the behavior of those on cell phones. These drivers are inattentive, distracted, and dangerous.

Sure, other distractions exist. Children can be quieted, dogs can be restrained. The conversation that these self absorbed narcissists seem obliged to conduct is an optional task that they take on themselves. Grow up and put down the phone.

This finding is in the category of “duh,” although I’m glad there’s a steady drumbeat these days about the dangers of driving while cell-talking.

Pedestrians can’t even concentrate on WALKING while talking on the phone. How many times has someone bumped into me on the sidewalk, or stepped out at the crosswalk at the wrong time, while absorbed in conversation on the phone? The one and only worse challenge to navigating the sidewalk: people TEXT MESSAGING and READING EMAIL ON SMART PHONES while walking down the street. I have to assume drivers do a lot of that,, too (OMG, is all I can say to that).

Normal passenger conversations (of course, excluding big distractions from children and dogs) are nothing like cell phone conversations, for all the reasons stated in the article.

Still, multi-tasking simply does not work, and I’d like to see more public awareness of this–because as we know–a lot of drivers use terrible judgment about what they do (applying makeup, eating and drinking, etc.) while driving.

I guess Rob L is trying to make some sort of point about overlegislating our behaviors. But driving a car has always been not a right but a privilege and a responsibility due to its ability to cause harm not only to the driver but to others sharing the roadway. Legislating bans and restrictions on wide-reaching and proven dangerous actions such as driving under the influence of alcohol or while operating a cell phone are not impinging on anyone’s rights, but protecting our mutual interests regarding life, health, insurance costs, etc. Just like those who drive well past the speed limit, who dodge in and out of lanes at 80mph while coming within a few feet of another vehicle, those who continue to insist on chatting while driving are extremely selfish, putting people around them at risk. Hang up and drive. Pull over if you must make an emergency call. Remember, we all got along just fine without this device, and cell phones on the road take many more lives than they save.

In terms of the study, it points to a useful distinction for policy makers: cell phone use IS clearly different from personal conversation. Thus, all the naysayers who dismiss cell phone bans while driving because “you can talk to someone in the car” can now be shown that there is a qualitative difference between the two.

And to those of you pointing out other distractions, such as children and pets, I certainly hope you’re transporting your kids and pets in a safe way. A dog in a carrier, and a child buckled into a safety seat, are not the dangerous distractions they become when allowed to freely roam or sit unrestrained in the vehicle. There’s a reason we have laws for that, as well.

Why do NASCAR, Indy, and F-1 drivers have helmet communicators? So they can be distracted while in heavy traffic at 200 mph? You’d think that the teams would ban them to get a competitive and safety advantage.

No, correlation isn’t causation. I’ve been backed into by pedestrians having a conversation with physically present friends in a mall or on a sidewalk, on practically every outing. It’s INATTENTIVE and easily distracted PEOPLE who cause collisions. And invoking correlation, I’ll argue that they’re more likely to be on the phone because they crave the distraction, and distracted because that’s what they’re after.

And as to conversationalists not in the car to watch traffic: What about talk radio?

Some may say I’m defensive, but I’m just trying to be logical. I’m a defensive driver. Many’s the time I’ve asked my phone-mate to repeat the last minute because I wasn’t listening; I was paying attention to traffic. Or stopped in mid-sentence and apologized later, explaining that something was happening in front of me.

When behind the wheel, driving must be your first priority. But does that mean we can’t have cupholders? Radio? Passengers? What I don’t get is the person who’s always on the phone to say something like “then she goes, and I’m all like, and you know, so…” while gesturing with the other hand and holding a cigarette out the window (sleight of hand) with the turn signal on and a nearly flat tire while tailgating. Take away their keys, not their phone.

>conversations with people inside the car are far less distracting to drivers

For myself, that isn’t true. I’m extremely distracted when someone else is a passenger in my car, and much less so when on the phone. Part of that, I believe, is because of the tendency to make eye contact when talking to a person.

I’ve seen multiple *ambulance* drivers recklessly weaving about. Every single time, I’ve looked over when I’ve dared pass them and seen them chatting on a cell phone. Hands free or not, ambulance drivers should never be allowed to use cell phones.

There have been enough studies done to demonstrate that the use of cell phones during driving is dangerous to the driver, other drivers and pedestrians. The problem is that cowardly politicians don’t dare endanger their re-election hopes by enacting strong legislation to prohibit the use of cell phones while driving (and making it a misdemeanor, rather than just a violation), and the police don’t enforce whatever weak bans there already are by handing out tickets.

For those of us who are older, we remember when continuing a conversation or answering a phone was usually significant (remember how special those long distance calls on Sunday were). And, we seem to have retained that belief, even though most of our calls these days are inconsequential and can be continued at a later time. But still, it’s funny how loath we are to interrupt a call. Think about it, you’re driving, and something happens that needs your attention and what do you do? Odds are you apologize to the person on the phone..”Just a second, I’m about to rear end the car in front of me that’s stopped for no….crash.” You wouldn’t apologize to a passenger, duh, they can SEE the problem. You won’t apologize to your toddler or pet. Nope, they wouldn’t comprehend your words so you don’t bother. But to a person on the phone, there seems to be some ingrained etiquette that says that conversation takes precedent. You see the same thing often times while having a face to face conversation, people seem to automatically give more importance to the stupid phone. Why, i suspect that it’s because many of us learned the behavior before voicemail and have passed it on.

Once I realized what I was doing, I got MUCH better at at simply being rude to the person on the phone, and shutting up and driving as needed, much the same as I would with a passenger. The most I’ll do is say “Driving” and people on the other end of the phone are generally smart enough to stop talking until I start talking again.

Driving is a privilege. Cell phone use is even more so. Putting a frill on top of a ruffle is too much fluff.

Many ways to be distracted driving–I have seen a man reading a newspaper across his steering wheel every morning on the expressway in rush hour–make up application, smoking, diving for something, stupid cell phone use, etc.

Driving can kill. We need to be attentive at all times when driving a vehicle. It isn’t all about us.

In full agreement with Post #9. I find that the people who are the most arrogant about their driving ability while using a cell phone are often the most dangerous. We all think we are so damn important that everything warrants our immediate attention and we must always get our way.

What did we do as a society for years before we had cell phones? Our conversations had to wait an hour? What is so important that you can’t either wait and have the conversation? Seriously, don’t tell me that it’s all business and family emergencies that you are using your cell phone in the car for.

But for those who are so sure they can drive and use the phone at the same time – at least get bluetooth for god sakes! I can’t believe that it is almost 2009 and so many people still drive and hold their cell phones while talking at the same time.